title: Comparison of the health-related quality of life in patients with narrow gastric tube and whole stomach reconstruction after oncologic esophagectomy: a prospective randomized study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the health-related quality of life in patients with narrow gastric tube and whole stomach reconstructions after oncologic esophagectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective randomized single-center study from 2007 to 2008, 104 patients underwent esophagectomy for cancer. To assess health-related quality of life, the questionnaire (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and the Oesophagus-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire 18) was administered at 3 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The perioperative complication rate was 26.9% in narrow gastric tube group and 48.1% in whole stomach group (P = 0.31). At the time of 3 weeks after surgery, the reflux and dyspnea scores were higher in whole stomach group than in narrow gastric tube group, which meant that the patients in whole stomach group suffered more severe problem. At the time of 6 months and 1 year after surgery, the reflux scores were lower in narrow gastric tube group than in whole stomach group, which revealed that there were less problems of reflux in the patients of narrow gastric tube group; meanwhile, the score of physical function scale in narrow gastric tube group was higher conversely, which suggested that the patients gain a better status in physical function. Nausea and vomiting is the only notable symptom that was worse in whole stomach group at the time of 2 years after surgery, which suggested that patients in whole stomach group suffered more severe nausea and vomiting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Narrow gastric tube reconstruction may be a good alternative choice for patients undergoing oncologic esophagectomy in view of better health-related quality of life after the surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Q C
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013270:Stomach / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Health related; esophageal cancer; gastric tube; quality of life; reconstruction; whole stomach